Resident Evil: Illumination - Chapter 2: Deja Vu
by Actionsparda
Summary: This is the sequel to Chapter 1: Airborne. Ashley is stranded "alone" in the wilderness and must use Leon's training to survive this new horrific experience. However, this is all a little to bit eerily familiar. Ashley is slowly loosing her sanity as she struggles to survive the elements and the unnatural. Meanwhile, nearby villagers observe her. Are they friend, foe or both?
1. 2-0: Flashback

A pair of eyes lay still, glowing in the red-orange light of a warm fire.

 _Christmas time is here_

A figure runs into view of the reflection, chased by another. The eyes' face is half-missing.

 _Happiness and cheer_

A third grabs the first as the second tears into the first's stomach, screaming. The face is female.

 _Fun for all that children call_

Snow begins to fall, and we can now see this is outside Camp David. There'd blood over her dress.

 _Their favorite time of the year_

RAAA! The female lunges forward mouth open. Blue smoke comes from her mouth.

 **FANFICTION PRESENTS:**

The house is full of smoke as people flee. The leftover decorations are all in flames.

 _Snowflakes in the air_

Alarms flash red from unseen locations as the people scream, running for the exit.

 _Carols everywhere_

A large metal door slams down over the exit, splitting a running man in two.

 _Olden times and ancient rhymes_

People bang on the door or cower in fear as security fires on the approaching zombies. BANG!

 _Of love and dreams to share_

One guard falls forward shot, the smoking gun coming from a blue-zombie hobbling toward them.

 **AN ACTIONSPARDA STORY**

The kitchen is in flames as bodies of cooks and servers are slammed into the fires and hot oil vats.

 _Sleigh bells in the air_

A chef slams a cleaver into the skull a body grabbing him. He turns to it. He was not a zombie!

 _Beauty_ _everywhere_

Horrified, he shoves two others aside and locks himself in the freezer. He is bitten and holding a card.

 _Yuletide by the fireside_

Acid sprays down from the sprinklers, melting the humans and turning the zombies blue and enraged!

 _And joyful memories there_

The survivor's literally fall apart as they are surrounded and devoured. Blue needles rain down.

 **BASED ON THE SERIES DEVELOPED BY CAPCOM:**

Another woman in a dress is running outside, away from a large purple creature.

 _Christmas_ _time_ _is_ _here_

She shoves a woman to the ground, but the eyeless creature runs past her still body.

 _Happiness and cheer_

Car's explode sending bodies everywhere behind the silhouette of a man being strangled and sucked.

 _Fun for all that children call_

A forked tongue pulls her and she stumbles as the man's insides are sucked through the tongue-tube.

 _Their favorite time of the year_

The woman cringes as the cobra-hood blinks before the purple Hunter slashes her and she screams.

 **Resident Evil: Illumination – Chapter 2: Deja Vu**

 **ladies and gentleman, welcome (back) to Resident Evil: Illumination!**

 **sorry I have been away for so long! Work has been overwhelming for me.**

 **for those fans who haven't been here in awhile, I desided to edit the last Fanfiction to stand as its' own section rather than continue it as one big story as origionally planned. This way, hopefully more people can be introduced to the running seriese and Incan focus more on the specific main characters highlighted in each story in the details.**

 **I know this isn't meant to be a Holiday story, but seeing as it takes place in January, when this idea came to me I simply couldn't pass it up! It turned out to be a fun creepy twist to the song (seriously, doesn't anyone else find it eerie and depressing without the zombies?), and fit into the theme well in summarizing the last chapter in the form of a "cinematic."**

 **Anyway, here's the way I'm planning on this to work:**

 **The story will continue directly after the events of the last one (I'll add a link here). This time, without giving too much away, they will focus more on Ashley and a new character working together to survive.**

 **My origional "vision" of this as a game was to have each chapter act as its' own story/level. I loved the additional campagns in Resident Evil 4 and 5 and fantasized of having one where each stroy chapter played as one! There would be no interuptions in gameplay besides cutscenes, and a second player could join in at any time or when makig a match/searching for one, whether it be to burn through the level in about half and hour or to foght through it at a higher difficulty/without taking any damage/ looking for all the secrets.**

 **So, what better way to reflect that by having each chapter its' own Fanfiction!?**

 **One last note worth mentioning:**

 **similar to how the last chapter had prequel chapters, I had so many possible ideas for extra stories in this set of chapters that I would like to add additional sections outside of the .0-.0 format of the last one. These will be called "Ashley's Diary." While I will have her refrence this format of writtting in the main games almost as a from of collectible tems likein the main franchise, these bonus chaters will match he fromat by being told in Ashley's P.O.V. Instead of the more Omnipresent one typically used. I really hope you like them, as well as the rest of the new addition to the story as a whole! :)**

 **Also, there will eventuall be additional "Behind the Scenes" chapters like in the last one, this time focusing on Ashley and the area she is in as a Mercenaries character/level respectfully.**

 **oh yeah! One last thing:**

 **while the story of Chapter 1: Airborne is technically done, I WILL be adding more chapters to it! I still need to add what I mentioned earlier will be an "Interview" with Leon about events in the story toget a hetter mindset of the character.**

 **ALSO, I will be doing a sort of Q and A to aconowledge and recognize each of m fans that took time to write a comment! So, be sure to visit my last chapters and get your comments/questionsin for me or Leon to get a chance at getting them answered and featured!**


	2. 2-1: Newsflash

_"Breaking news out of Washington tonight. Video surveillance footage has been leaked and presented to this station among many others of what appears to be Camp David overrun with biological weapons. It may be upsetting to some viewers. Due to this violent content, viewer discretion is advised. Several people are shown dead and many others identified by our experts here cannot be reached or located._

 _This all is occurring on the night traditionally used for the Inaugural Ball. This suggest that some sort of private party had been planned for marking the beginning of new president's first official year in office after the tragic death of President Adam Benford six months ago at the Tall Oaks Outbreak._

 _Social media is overwhelmed from this, causing an outcry for answers from the american people, as well as all around the world. So far, no one at the White House has responded to our many inquiries upon learning of this supposed terrorist attack. If these rumors are true, this may very well be due to no one in power currently inside, truly a scary thought as we continue to investigate this coverup._

 _Stay tuned to this station for all the latest news, alerts and warnings as they happen. ...be safe, everyone."_

2.0: Newsflash

In a government facility near Washington, time seems to slow down as the employees frantically move from station to station, desperately looking for and source to suggest what tragedy could have befallen the people of Camp David.

The building engulfed in flames on the monitors displayed everywhere covers the rooms in an orange light from the broadcasts. So much yelling and commotion... yet to so many, it falls silent on deaf ears as the reality of the situation begins to hit home. Some stare in shock, while others call loved ones and sources. A few poor souls weep.

"Wha!? How did the media get ahold of this!?"

"Where's the President?" "Get me the Pentagon!"

The DSO where Leon works is in a frantic state of panic. Some of it's workers present at the party have only just arrived back. The ordeal they went through is now mo longer secret, as the government tries to get a grasp on the situation.

Among the top aids include three women in attendance when the outbreak occurred. One was there in her work clothes, scratching her dark burnet hair in frustration as she hangs up the phone. She emotionally looks at the picture on her desk of her murdered sister, Debora.

The second is wa lighter brunet in a forrest green gown from the party. She is fiddling on multiple keyboards at once surrounded by a supercomputer. Frantically typing, she refuses to stop and let the situation get to her, engulfing herself into work as a way to cope with he stress and deal with the fallout.

Finally, a familiar redhead checks her laptop while fiddling with her service weapon, another pistol currently in her pocket. She cannot fathom what connections may have led to this horrible past few days. She wonders if her own ordeal is still worth it...

*boop*

Snapping out of her trance, while the other girls present their findings to the board, Claire looks to her screen and sees a particular used online, one not found among the rescuers despite being at the party. Ashley Graham!

...

"No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack sir." The dark-haired girl addresses.

"Nothing? No one!?" a man in a suit yells back "Harper, this all points to a deliberate attack on U.S. soil right under our noses and you mean to tell me not a single terrorist is calling its' devastation for their own!? Hunnigon, where are we on... casualties?"

The light-hair rests in a ponytail belonging to said agent "initial reports, based on whom we believe attended the party put the death toal around... 163 of about 200 likely in attendance based on the limited size of the venue."

"I HAVE SOMETHING!" the redheaded Claire yells "...or rather, I had something. She presents her computer to Hunnigon for her to pull up onto the big screen.

"Mrs. Graham!?" many people call out. "Where is she?" "Air Force One!?" "How long ago was this taken?" Why wasn't I notified of this!?" "Why did be transmission cut out!?" "Are there others onboard wth her?" "Could there be any other survivors on the ground still?" "Should we percede with steri..."

...

Angry and frustrated, Claire left the room unnoticed due to all the confusion. She grabbed her coat and bag of clothes to change into.

"Where are you going!?" Hunnigan's voice called out. "We need you in here!"

"Shouldn't they need YOU in there Ingrid?" Claire said, rolling her eyes closed as she fastens her holster.

"Don't change the subject," Ingrid Hunnigon replied. "How can you be leaving at a time like this!?"

"I schedueld these days off in advance." Claire replied meekly.

"You don't even have any days left from all your other trips!" Ingrid was frustrated "and besides, you think that matters in such a time of crisis? You don't even have a clean bill of health..."

"I found it, Ingram..." Claire cut her off sharply but firmly. "It's in Europe."

Hunnigon just stood there silently for awhile. "What do you mean? Is this just another wild goose chase like you use to?" Vouging for Claire's hiring and continued position on the team seems like a mistake in heinsight, even after all she has been through from before. Raccoon City, prison, the South Pole, the airport, Terra-save...

"It's there. I'm positive." Claire gazes sitting up straight, her eyes focused on her supervisor's tired body posture.

"This is everything i have been looking... that Leon and I have been working for since Christmas!"

While not knowing the full story, Ingrid sighed bases on the memory of passion Leon had over this "case" and Claire's sense of responsibility for it. Even without her older brother in the BAAA's potential, Claire was prepared to go in and even die alone if that's what it meant at this point. So, knowing no other options, Ingrid simply shook her head briefly before nodding. "Alright," she confirmed, "i hope it's all worth it."

As Claire hurried away to the door, all she could mutter to herself in response was "he is."

 **Hey everybody! Guess who's back!? I bet you weren't expecting to see me again so soon! ;)**

 **...yes, for all you newcomers, this is "soon" for me. :/**

 **anyway, i know this is another short chapter, but I wanted to get this out od the way so I can start on the real meat of the story (Ashley in the wild) ASAP. Don't forget, yoy can get teasers to what's coming up from Chapter 1: Airborne or spoilers in my summaries from lomg ago.**

 **Speaking of which, I will be adding one more "Behind the Scenes" chapter to my first story, so look for that bery shortly (about a week or so.)**

 **Well, keep enjoying the new year!**

In the orange glare from outside. We can see the party setting slowly glowing. The fancy decorations give us a twisted version of the New Years melody in out head. The bodies become illuminated.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot  
And never brought to mind  
Should auld acquaintance be forgot  
And auld lang syne

As a shooting light grows closer and closer, we see blue undead-looking bodies with wide eyes. They appear paused in time with their angry expressions planted firmly on their faces even in death. Several limbs covered in ash are stuck firm on the skeleton of what appears to have snake fangs. Another has a whole body trapped firmly into its mouth.

For auld lang syne, my dear  
For auld lang syne  
We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet  
For auld lang syne  
For auld lang syne

Before the blinging red light sets in, we finally see a large blob of a man, intestines hanging out and dangled into its saw-like arm. The boil on its' head had burst since death, and it lay crashed into the large coffee table, centered around such fine architecture and years of history.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot  
And never brought to mind  
Should auld acquaintance be forgot  
And auld lang syne

As the melody comes to a close, it's engulfed in a white-out.

From a distance back, a large mushroom cloud can be seen.


	3. 2-2: Deja Vu

**(Sigh.) I finally had just finished my biggest and most important chapter yet on this longrunning seriese. I had everything spread out and marked so you all could tell what was a flashback and what was a tutorial for ingame. Then, when I finally posted it, I went to share it with a friend and found it was full of this gibrish!**

 **i deeply appologize for those returning fans that came back excited to read this like I had dreamed for them to do... only to be met with dissappointment :(**

 **i have gone through just now and gotten rid of everytying I could to make it readable. Hopefully nothing important was removed by accident.**

Ashley sprinted through the woods as fast as she could. The wolves were on her tail! Feeling hopeless and tired, she would turn around to catch her breath and fire a volley of shots wildly to deter her pursuers. Instead, all they did was seem to grow stronger, sprouting tentacles where she hit them!

Tripping, she lost her gun and swung her knife wildly to keep the wolf at bay. Breaking free of the leg trap, she stabbed the infected canine in the eye, only for it to turn back to her after flinching to growl. Leaving the knife imbedded in the beasts' skull, she left a trail of blood as she painfully ran. Tossing items from her bag she never should have brought with her, she eventually collided with a body she did not see. It was Leon... and he dove onto her and ate her neck!

 **Chapter 2.1: Deja Vu**

Ashley awoke from her terrible nightmare... at least it seemed like a nightmare, Yet, there was something very real about it, more real than her memories of... she did not want to think of that right now.

...or ever for that matter.

As she turned in the confined space, Ashley hoped everything had all been just a bad dream. Camp David, the crash, the kidnapping, even Europe altogether. She wished her father was just at the very least still a senator and in her moment of weakness, wished she had never even met Leon or the DSO. Maybe then, everyone would still be alright.

..it wasn't.

Getting her baring again, she realized where she had ended up when it hit the fan. Leon... or what was left of him... fought to get her into this pod! Normally reserved for the president in the event of an attack on Air Force One, I guess he was able to remember it in his final minutes. She tried to remain strong, and somehow she did. Even surprising herself, it was like there were no tears left. No more pain could be felt inside or out of her body.

...or so she thought.

Trying to remain calm, letting one tear actually slip in the hopelessness of the situation, Ashley thought back to all of Leon's training and sacrifices.  
All to save others.

Leon.

...

"Leon?" Ashley asked her hero. This was not long after she had returned to normal life as the president's daughter... albeit under way more security.

"Yeah, Ash?" he looked up politely from the magazine.

"So," Ashley took a deep breath. "What's the basic version of surviving on your own?"

...

 _"Take a look at your surroundings, not just where you are but also what you have at your disposal. You want to keep your options open, but too many things can be just as bad if not enough. You can always come back for things."_

 **Use the right stick to look around.**

"Okay," Ashley said to herself. She looked around and found all the rations. "If I can keep this stuff closed and hidden, than I don't need to carry all of this with me." There was also a first aid kit full of medical supplies. "Don't need ALL of this, but yeah... JACKPOT! I think..."

 _"Don't be afraid to get a closer look when you can afford to."_

 **Press the right stick (R3) to change between perspectives.**

Ashley had indeed found a can of First Aid Spray. There was a few survival tools inside as well. The compass was light enough, and the rope could be tied around her without getting stuck if she had to loose it. Thank goodness she had changed out of her bloody dress in the plane! She put on the small backpack, reluctantly leaving her purse in the pod.

...

 _"You should always keep a little case of anything you can spare hidden around." Leon stood in front of a large chest in his home. Ashley's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped when he opened it._

 _"Geez, Leon!" Ashley was shocked how many backpacks and cases of medical supplies, ammo and small arms he kept with him. "How do you expect to carry all this around!?"_

 _"You don't." Leon replied simply "Carrying too much slows you down and leaves no room to pick stuff up."_

 _..._

Finally, Ashley clutched her knife Leon had given her. She treasured it not just for its' sentimental value, but also for its' usefulness in the field. Conveniently, she was able to attach a sheath onto the bag like she had seen others use it. Then she felt rather silly and left the first one there while keeping Leon's knife at her side, right next to her..."DAMN!" Ashley must have dropped her pistol on the plane in the confusion.

...

 _"Your firearms are the most dangerous things you can carry." Leon spoke to her. She expected today to be practice shooting, but instead was in a gym instead of on the firing range. "That goes both ways too! Anything you use can be used against you. It's always best to avoid conflict whenever possible. When you have to, Ashley, you should act stealthy so the enemy can't see you until its' too late. You should be swift so the enemy can't react before you. Finally, you should be careful to make every shot count."_

...

 **Use the left stick to move.**

Once as prepared as she could be and unable to remain still any longer, Ashley prepared to leave. This "escape pod" everyone at the Secret Service jokingly called it, was not like the ones you see in the movies. She could get out anytime she had to, but it was best to stay put as long as possible.

 **Press square to interact with the environment.**

...but Ashley was trained now. She was no longer a helpless victim. She was a survivor.

 **Tap square to slowly move the door, or hold square to slam the door open.**

Ashley slowly moved the door open. Looking around as much as she could, Ashley prepared to leave, locking the door with her remaining supplies behind her.

...

 _"Do I have to keep walking like this?" Ashley couldn't help but complain as she kept in a squatting position on the track with Leon._

 _"Absolutely," Leon replied sternly. Although he couldn't help but crack a smile. "The lower you are on the ground, the smaller and more quiet you'll be."_

 _"I Don't remember you doing this in Europe!" Ashley quipped._

 _"Shhh..." Leon kidded "this is suppose to make you move MORE quietly."_

 _..._

 **Press down on the left stick (L3) and press X to duck. Move afterward to crouch.**

Ashley rolled her eyes at the happy memory and she quietly stepped down and left. Right now, she could only pray that he... or anyone... was still alive. Just because she had trained to be on her own did not mean she wanted to.

"Grrr!"

...

 _"Duck!" Leon yelled. Ashley slowly got down on her belly reluctantly. "You HAVE to be ready at any time._

 _..._

 **Hold down on the left stick (L3) and press X to dive. Hold L3 to crawl.**

Ashley dove without a second thought and looked around before crawling for cover behind a tree. Whatever else was out there, Ashley was not alone, but not in the way she wanted to be.

Following a naturally-made path rather that the clearing made from debris, Ashley quietly went around to follow the path of destruction she fell into. Several jaggery vines blocked her path. Putting up her pink camouflage hoodie only helped so much. Reluctantly, she drew her... she drew Leon's knife.

...

 _"You're knife," Leon began "or whatever melee tool you have at your disposal should not be used randomly. It is a strong but delicate tool when used in the wild or on an enemy."_

 _..._

 **Press R2 to use your weapon. Hold for a larger attack.**

Taking her knife from the case attached to the strap of her backpack, Ashley readied herself. Holding her knife firm in her palm, she swung wide and got most of the hazards in her way. With most out of the way, she made a smaller swing. Her knife got stuck! "Shoot!" Ashley mentally cursed.

As she pulled back and forth, careful not to damage the blade somehow, her jacket got stuck too!

 **Tap buttons rapidly to escape from certain circumstances.**

Ashley pulled herself free, but the knife remained firmly in place, dangling from the plant.

...

 _"Brute strength is very rarely the answer." Leon spoke encouragingly to Ashley in the gym "But when you absolutely have to, you should know how to use your body to hit at just the right angles and motions to do the most damage without hurting yourself too much in the process."_

 _..._

 **Press circle to melee. Tap for a several hits, or hold for one strong knockdown.**

Ashley crushed the thorns in her shoulder against a neighboring tree, freeing her knife.

Nearby, she found a herb. "Sweet." Ashley smiled.

 **Press square to pickup items.**

Ashley picked up the her and put it in a plastic bag with her first aid supplies next to the spray:

 _..._

 _"It's important to know how to use the environment." Leon held a book in his hand._

 _"Not only can it be used to help you survive along the path or even hurt your enemies instead of you, but it can also heal you."_

 _Ashley stared puzzled. "How do you...?" Leon showed her the book mid sentence. "Oh! Right! Those herbs."_

 _Leon nodded. "Yep," he explained "Herbs can be used on bandages by mixing certain ones and applying it to your skin like a bandage. Of course, there's always the spray, but those are meant for more dire injuries. You can even roll them up and ingest them for small amounts of energy!" The book contained information on how to do so._

 _"There's even rumors of a liquid they're developing to pour on your wounds." She gave the book to Ashley, who instantly began reading it._

 _..._

Ashley chose just to wait and catch her breath rather than waste a healing item.

 **Stamina is used to sprint, melee, counter, copse d' grace, or escape. It can regenerate over time or be restored instantly through any amount of healing.**

As she neared the clearing of the path ahead, Ashley gasped at the path of destruction left by the crash. So much chaos in the wake of the crash, and yet there were no signs of life... or death for that matter. However, that did not mean Ashley was truly "alone." Any "survivors of the crash were neither alive nor dead, but rather by the sound of the moans somewhere in between. With no clear path around in the flaming plant-life, Ashley has no choice but to go trough the scar in the earth that was once Air Force One. Better to see any enemies coming rather than be caught off-guard in the woodland.

 **Hold square to automatically interact with the environment on contact.**

This one surely would be a test of Ashley's fitness. She carefully navigated herself through the carnage and twisted metal. Using her upper body, she got a running start and pulled herself up into the open section of the plane. Walking through sections of the plane at different times, impaled and disfigured corpses of those that once had saved her life were thrown about everywhere.

They were still moving.

 **Press R2 next to impaired enemies to perform a corpse d'grace or finisher.**

Ashley didn't want to waste the ammo, but realized anything left "unlive" could be a threat to her later. Also, it didn't feel right or "humane" to leave these walking corpses like this. They were people once and deserved to be at peace, not as the monsters that were currently embodying them. She realized what she had to do as she approached one holding part of a chair as a weapon from behind.

 **Human zombies can regenerate if they are not completely destroyed or decapitated.**

Ashley thrusted Leon's knife into the back of its' neck. The gurgling sound lasted only a minute as she backed away from the flailing arms of the zombie. Once it stopped moving, with no other way to destroy or burn the body, she used its' weapon against it and heard the squish of wood connecting to rotting flesh as the wet chunks of a head flew right off.

 **Crouching and slow movements can break falls and prevent detection from movement.**

Two more unfortunate souls were standing outside the plane on the other side. With no sound in ear reach, they stood quietly and perfectly still. Almost... too still... at least to be alive. Lightly, Ashley fell with grace from the emergency exit above and to the side. Moving carefully around broken glass and debris, she managed to avoid any detection as she neared the clearing ahead. However, as if hell was not already present, it was about to break loose once more!

 **Avoiding conflict and detection can preserve valuable health and resources.**

A wicked howl pierced through the air as two wolves dove into the round area right of the exit and began devouring the zombies before they could react. These were no ordinary wolves however. Tentacles burst from their sides as the mangled remains were torn to shreds right before her eyes. Keeping her breath still, Ashley managed to escape without a sound, opening the plane door in the wall conveniently blocking her way. The narrow hall leading to the other end of this crash area was just ahead. As she walked forward however, the cylinder section began to teeter like a see-saw! Catching her balance in a gasp, she held completely still as it leaned forward. Now on a reversed incline, she cautiously walked forward to avoid slipping.

 **Tapping the left stick and pressing any button at just the right time will perform a dodge.**

"AREAUUWW!"

A hand reached out from the seats and reached for Ashley! Moving at just the right moment, her right leg evaded the monster's reach and planted itself firmly onto its head, splattering it everywhere!

 **Human zombies often drop items. They can also be found in crated breakable with R2.**

Picking up the handgun leftover from the fallen, Ashley made her way to the door on the other end. Feeling it stuck against something, she struggled to push it open. It was pinned against the ground!

...

 _"Remember, if you get stuck anywhere in life, just stop and think before you act when it's safe."_

 _..._

Stopping and thinking for a moment, on Leon's words, she had a dangerous idea. With no way out, she backed up to the door from which she came.

 **Hold L3 to sprint. Use square to clear obstacles in your way. Use X to dive.**

Ashley took off at full speed towards the center of the plane's hallway. Quickly jumping over the center, she landed and kept running as she felt the hall begin to tilt. Slamming the door on the other end open, she leaped out before the door was crushed behind her!

"Talk about near death experience." Ashley smiled at the memory and turned... before slamming her hand on her own mouth! In this little grotto were several of the mutant dogs! Upon closer look, albeit from a distance, these canine corpses were rotting away just like the zombies were!

 **Hold L1 to quick aim. Use the widened camera angle to navigate large areas. Use the face buttons to say commands. Press R3 to change locked target.**

This area was like a maze! Ashley could only find one way out, but two large dogs stood deathly silent in front. Cursing under her breath, Ashley tripped over a rock. She got an idea.

 **Press R1 to quickly toss an item. Hold R1 to aim it and press R2 while aiming to throw.**

Using the environment like her mentor once taught her, Ashley was able to hit a tree in the clearing. Shuddering at the insanely monstrous barks, the guard dogs ran off to "fetch" whatever made that noise.

 **Press L2 and R2 or R1 simultaneously to quickfire or quickthrow at the nearest target (consuming stamina.)**

As she moved through the path, a wolf ran at her straight on! With no other option, she fired her weapon at it head-on, miraculously killing it instantly! Her salvation was short lived, as the howls of her pursuers came once again!

...

 _"Sometimes running just isn't an option. You must be prepared to fight if you have to!"_

 _..._

With no way to outrun her opponents, Ashley readied herself to fire.

 **Hold L2 to aim. Press R2 to fire. Tap the weapon's directional pad to change fire modes.**

The first two wolves fell over in front of the pack, tripping up the others and giving her the time to take the rest out.

 **Press square to reload when no item is near.**

After a long trek, Ashely had finally found the main section of Air Force One! Hopefully she would have means to contact help there and supplies, or at the very least shelter. With the side blown out, Ashley walked through the muddy puddle into the crooked plane. One side was grounded into the earth in front of the small hillside, whereas the other end hung open, allowing for a quick escape, but also making another opening for enemies. The wide sections of seating made for great cover and had a few more useful items like guard's ammo and some food and clothing Leon and she were given when they got onboard.

"Leon..." Ashley muttered under her breath. She had not found him or his body on the way there. The cockpit was the only place left to check. After she had secured what she could in this area, she finally opened the door to the last scrap of the crash. The door made for a good barricade for a last stand, but unless the windshield was somehow cracked, there would be no escaped. This was the sort of place for a last stand.

She heard muttering in the front of the plane. Cocking her gun, she found herself calling out "Who's there!?" As she cautiously moved up the stairs, Ashley found a body curled over on the ground. Lowering her guard as she examined the suit jacked, she jumped when the body slowly moved. It turns out there was the body of a pilot in front of it that had been eaten in sections. The body rose up...

It's light brownish-blonde hair was stained with the blood of others... Ashley hunched over. ...the once dashing black suit-jacked fell apart from the rips and tears of the crash... She began to cry. ...and one arm stood taller than the others, and was hulking over the majority of the lefthand side. "No..." she cried desperately. The arm was purple. "...Leon..."

Ashley found herself training one on one with Leon towards the "end" of her training. Obviously, he never fought hard against her when they "sparred," but it was still necessary to her training. Ashley said that she wanted to learn from the best and work with the best. In her eyes, Leon was simply the best... someone that she loved and looked up to but never fathomed that she could ever beat at anything...

...let alone kill...

Leon's body hobbled towards her.

 **Larger opponents require a stun or counter to take down.**

Leon motioned towards his head. Ashley make a striking motion towards it and he pretended to be daze.

BANG!

Leon stumbled.

"No..."

Leon's body hobbled backwards, a red mark now in between the eyes. Still, he moved. It looked like he could barely hold balance anymore; his body was so mutated. At least it seemed to be through teary eyes.

"I won't..."

"Ashley went limp, before looking up and crying out in anger.

"Please..."

...

 _"Good," Leon complimented Ashley. He jokingly motioned for her with his fingers like a goofy kung-fu movie. "Alright, give me your best shot!"_

 _Ashley giggled as she let out a fake war cry."Ahhhhh..."_

 _..._

"AAAAAAAHHHH!" Ashley pulled out her knife as drops of water fell behind her. She backhanded Leon underneath his giant arm, hitting right in the bloody face. Ashley pulled away from him and went for a gut punch in his side with the other hand.

She could hear the ribs break from beneath her fist. Bracing herself, Ashley swung her feat into Leon's ankles, cracking the weakened muscles in a way she never could have in Leon's prime.

"It's not him." she muttered to herself.

Leon's body was just a shell of its' former self.

"It can't be him..." she spoke.

It was just a body waiting to be put down.

"IT WON'T BE HIM!" Ashley lept atop the falling body with her knife angled downward.

 _..._

 _Ashley felt like a kid again wrestling around, as well as felling a bit turned on to be doing it with her ultimate crush. She made the motion when Leon was on his back to pull back for a final strike, but she stopped._

 _Leon reached up. "C'mon Ashley, hit me."_

Ashley bit her lip, kind of sad at the prospect of doing so.

 _"C'mon, you have to be able to do this." he reassured her. "You never know in this sad world when a friend may be... turned... into an enemy."_

She closed her eyes.

 _"C'mon, do it..."_

She opened them.

 _"'Do it."_

She raised her arms up.

 _"Do it!"_

 _..._

"..." Ashley felt herself breaking loose on top of Leon's zombified form, unable to move. It snapped at the air looking for anything to bite. Ashley froze, waiting for the end, just wanting it all to be over.

""Dooo iiiiiiiittttt!"

Ashley shuttered at the zombies words. Some part of Leon was in there still...  
...and she wouldn't let him down.

"LEEEOOOOONNNN!"


	4. 2-3: Crash Course

2.2: Crash Course

 ***scrape* *scrape***

Ashley harshly swished Le... her... knife against the long stiff branch. The end was now growing to a point at the end. With every bit of scrap falling, Ashley heard shell casings. With every cut of bark, she felt herself carve something's flesh out from earlier. With every grunt, she felt every tear she had cried in her life... most of them from the last few days. Specifically, the most recent memory...

…

Ashley was keeled over, balling on her knees at the foot of a body. She had seen pleanty of them now sequentially, but this was different. It wasn't quite undead. No, part of it was still in there calling out to her... to end it... yet, that's what made it hurt even more. This person was like a friend, bestie, brother, father-figure and boyfriend all rolled into one. That didn't even include what she wanted more from him. A lover, a life-mate, someone to grow old with. This man was also a hero... not just her hero... but her hero nonetheless.

Ashley's hero was dead. In the scattered remnants' of Air Force One throughout the forrest, pieces of the plane had become tombs... and here lie Leon S. Kennedy.

She sealed his body where she found it in the cockpit, among the other corpses she had decapitated first to prevent reanimation. Against her better judgement, she could not bring herself to do so to her fallen protector for all these years.

First things first, her newfound survivor instincts taught to her by Leon after Europe kicked in. Returning to a part of the crashsite she came across earlier, she decided to make a temporary camp. There was no time to build a shelter before dusk, so all she could do was hide there and hope the wrong people didn't find her. Yes, she was certain this whole thing was no accident, and while she really had no position or possessions of value anymore, she was not ready to rule anything out. If Leon's story had taught her anything, sometimes even just surviving makes you a target!

After gathering the right twigs and her survival gear from the wreckage, she had built herself a stable fire with the flint and steel, along with Leon's knife. It seems like even now he watched over her.

Speaking of which... there was this feeling Ashley just couldn't shake that something was out there watching her... when she cut wood, fed the fire, wrote in her diary to help keep her sanity and her testament of what happened, slept (no matter how many different places she tried sleeping), made spears like in that one movie, checked her gun, scourged for supplies, even showered that night in the rain! ...although to be fair, it didn't seem like that one lasted very long.

The "final" straw came one day when she was "hunting." Despite what all she had read, even out there in her supplies of reading material, Ashley literally could not seem to hunt to save her life. Still, while she was no vegan and was prepared to do what it took to survive, she had never liked the process or concept of killing, even before the kidnapping in Europe. Even the "monsters" she came across still were people once, weren't they?

The "big-break" finally came when she heard the ground slip in a small crevice in the hills where a stream ran through. At first, she though it was just a hallucination. Still, Ashley went to check.

There she found a gruesome sight, even for her now higher standards of disgusting.

A deer seemed to have fallen and broken its' limbs. "Shoot," Ashely muttered to herself "there goes my water supply." Ashley could tell it was suffering, and in a sad disturbing way, her stomach growled at the concept of food being presented to her. She wanted to do the most humane thing. While she worried about someone hearing a gunshot, she simply couldn't bare the concept of using slow unconventional means to end this creature's life.

Slowly Ashley raised her gun... she hadn't even fired it since... Leon...

Ashley locked eyes with the poor animal. She felt so weak and helpless, crying and unable to pull the trigger, until...

 ***BANG** *

Crows in the distance flew up into the air. Ashely opened her eyes to see the deer, motionless and yet at peace, with a small bullet hole in its' head just above the eye. She couldn't believe what a lucky shot it was!

It was almost like she never even pulled the trigger...

Panic filled her mind from all her trauma, but Ashley knew she needed to stay in control if she had even a chance to survive. The first experience was gruesome, but Ashley had read how to carve venison in one of her survival books, along with fishing, basic herbs and even gunpowder among many other things. She didn't want to be helpless anymore...

But she wasn't. Ashley dit it! She found her own food, killed it, cut it, brought it back to camp and cooked everything she could to eat! She slept well that night...

...maybe even a little too well.

…

Something human-shaped hobbled stealthily through the camp. Despite being pitch black outside the light of the fire, it knew exactly where to step, almost as if it had been there before. Underneath its' large hat and cloak, one gleaming red eye pierced through shadow.

It could smell the blood. It hungered for it. Needed it!

It stalked to where Ashley slept behind the spiked door she built, visibly only with its' heightened senses...

…

The next morning, Ashley groaned from sleeping so hard, yet slightly happier now that she had a full stomache, as well as from all she had accomplished, not just yesterday, but throughout this whole ordeal! Last night was just the gratification she felt deserving of.

Ashley hoped Leon would be proud.

Unfortunately, she felt the realization of all she needed to do still. In addition to the normal basic routine out here, Ashley in her exahstion forgot to clean up the blood to prevent other wildlife finding her kill! Plus all the meat needed packaged up for as safe keeping as could be, and...

Ashley looked around surprised. Almost everything had been done. No trace of the blood could be found and the meat was in the same makeshift parchment she would have put it in. Everything was exactly as it should be, save for maybe her trap door being slightly ajar. It was perfect...

Maybe even a little too perfect... had she really done all this? Maybe she really was loosing it.

Against her better judgement, Ashley ended up laying down once-more to try and get her mind back in order, falling back to sleep curling up around the blanket.

…a blanket she had never seen before in her life!

…

 **That's right folks! I'm BACK! Did you miss me? ...no? Oh wait, nobody's here...**

 **Well, after witing for some long-awaited updates in my own life... I finally said screw it and typed out this chapter anyway.**

 **In addition to the current story, I'm working on a sister-series about Ashley's experiences in the wild in more detail called Ashley's Diary. It will be available to read more of as the story progresses.**

 **Thank you to all of those old and new eyes that have come to read, follow and favorite my stories! It's you who make this all possible and gratifying, so please let me know what you think!**

…

The next night, a pair of blood-red eyes appeared in the woods surrounding the camp, discovering the faint scent of animal meat the night before. And this time, it was not alone...


End file.
